Controller



May 13, 1924.

G. M. ALBRECHT CONTROLLER Filed Dec. 6, 1920 Patented May 13, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE M. ALBRECHT, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR T0 ALLIS-CHALMERS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

CONTROLLER.

Application filed December 6, 1920. Serial No. 428,436.

1 '0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that GEORGE M. ALBRECHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of WVisconsin, has invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Controllers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates in general to switches or controllers. It may be applied in switches of the typev having an 01f or neutral position and first and second operative or circuit closing positions. More particularly, if such switches or controllers are used in connection with motors the first position would be the starting position and the second the running position. It may become desirable in this and other relations to prevent the controller from being thrown into the second circuit closing position before the same has been thrown into the first circuit closing position. One of the objects of the invention is the provision of simple and efiicient means whereby the aforementioned result may be attained. Another object is the provision of means for attaining this result in switches or controllers where certain of the operating parts make only positive angles with the horizontal. Other objects will appear hereinafter as the description of the invention proceeds.

The novel features of the invention will appear from this specification and the drawing accompanying and forming a part thereof and disclosing one embodiment of the invention, and all these novel features are intended to be pointed out in the claims.

The single figure of the drawing is a fragmentary view in front elevation of a switch mechanism in which the invention hasbeen applied.

The present invention has been illustrated as applied in a controller 1 of the type disclosed in an application of Herbert Cheney, Ser. No. 413,086 filed September 27, 1920. While aparticular form of switch and operating mechanism therefor has been illustrated it is to be understood that these are not of the essence of the invention but are shown merely for completeness of dis closure. The controller 1 comprises a movable contact, member 2 and relatively stationarycontacts 3, l. The controller may be operated by turning the shaft 5 by any suitable means as by an operating handle (not shown). Rigidly associated with the operating shaft 5 is a crank 6 which is adapted to transmit motion to the movable contact member through the operating mechanism 7. Also rigidly associated with the operating shaft 5 is a lever or arm 8, in this instance forming a bell crank with the crank 6. The are of movement of the lever 8 is indicated by the dot and dash lines provided with the legends Starting and Running. It will be noted that this are of movement includes only positive angles, that is, angles above the horizontal.

The lever 8 is provided with a longitudinal slot 9 in which an inertia-member is adapted to move. This inertia-member is here shown as comprising a roll 10 carried by a pin 11 freely movable in the slot 9. The inertia-member may be prevented from dropping out of the slot by any suitable means as for example an additional roll (not visible) mounted on the rear of the pin 11 on the other side of the lever 8.

A plate 12 is operatively associated with the inertia-member and may be mounted in any suitable manner as, for example, by screws 13 on the front wall of the housing (not shown). The plate 12 is provided with a notch 14 so formed as to provide a shoulder or stop 15 and a cam surface 16. The plate also has a surface 17 which is here shown as substantially concentric with the shaft 5. Another surface 18 on the plate 12 is provided at the upper end of the cam surface 16. The surface 18 is also shown as substantially concentric with the shaft 5 but its arc is of somewhat larger radius than the arc of surface 17. It is clear that the stop 15 and the cam 16 need not be formed in a single plate but may be separate members.

In the particular switch operating mechanism with which the present invention is shown associated, some means would be provided for holding the shaft 5, and thus the lever 8, in the running position but as such parts are not necessary to an understanding of the present invention they have not been illustrated.

The operation of the device is as follows:

If an operator attemptsto rotate the shaft 5 in a clockwise direction from its off position, the inertia-member or roll 10 will engage the stop 15 and thus prevent such motion. The operator is however free to move the shaft 5, and thus the lever 8, in a counter-clockwise direction which motion will throw the movable contact memher 2 into engagement with the starting contacts 3. During this motion the cam 16 operates to positively lift the roll 10 radially outward in the slot 9 until the surface 18 is reached. If new the operator moves the operating means with a predetermined degree of rapidity in a clockwise direction the inertia-member or roll 10 will not have time to drop in the slot 9 to a level which would cause said roll to re-engage the stop 15, but the parts are so proportioned that the inertia-member will be out of the way of the stop 15, and, if it has dropped at all, will be sufliciently high to ride upon the surface 17 so that the switch operating mechanism may thus be thrown into the running position. In order to accomplish the aforementioned result the inertia of the roll 10, or the fact that centrifugal force will tend to throw it upwardly in the slot 9, may be relied upon or both factors may come into play for attaining the result.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit the invention claimed to the exact details of construction and operation herein shown and described, for various modifications within the scope of the appended claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

, It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a Switch having operating means having an off, and a first and second operative position, a pivoted member, whose arcof movement includes only positive angles, movable with said operating means, means for preventing movement of said operating means into said second position after having first moved into said first position including a stop and an inertia-member cooperable with said stop and movable with and with respect to said pivoted member, and means whereby said inertia-member is caused to assume a different position with respect to said pivoted member when the latter is in its oil and first positions respectively.

2. In a switch having operating means having an oil, and a first and second operative position, a member movable with said operating means, a stop, an inertia-member movable with and with respect to said movbla member to a position where it will engage said stop when said operating means is moved from off toward said second position, and means for moving said inertiamember to a position out of the way of said stop when said operating means is moved to said first position, whereby said operating means may be moved from said first to said second position.

3. In a switch having operating means having an OH, and a first and second operative position, a member movable with said operating means, a stop, an inertia-member movable with and with respect to said movable member to a position where it will engage said stop when said operating means is moved from oil toward said second position, and a cam for moving said inertiamember to a position out of the way of said stop when said operating means is moved to said first position, whereby said toward said second position, and means for moving said inertia-member to a position out of the way of said stop when said operating means is moved to said first position, whereby said operating means may be moved from said first to said second position.

5. In a switch having operating means having an oil, and a first and second operative position, a pivoted member, whose arc of movement includes only positive angles, movable with said operating means, a stop, an inertia-member movable with and with respect to said movable member, said inertia-member for all positions of said movable member, tending to move to a position where it will engage said stop when said operating means is moved from off toward said second position, and means for moving said inertia-member to a position out of the way of said stop when said operating means is moved to said first position, whereby said operating means may be moved from said first to said second position.

6. In a switch having operating means having an 05, and a first and second operative position, a pivoted member movable with said operating means, said pivoted member having a substantially radial slot, an inertia-member movable in said slot, a cam co-operating with said inertia-member and having a shoulder whereby movement of said pivoted member from off to said second position is prevented, said cam having an inclined portion whereby when said pivoted member is moved from ofi to sand first position said inertia-member is moved along said pivoted member, a cam cooperating with said inertia-member and having a shoulder whereby movement of said pivoted member from off to said second position is prevented, said cam having an inclined portion whereby when said pivoted member is moved from off to said first position said inertia-member is moved out of the way of said shoulder.

8. In a switch having operating means having an off, and a first and second operative position, a pivoted member movable with said operating means, a stop, an inertia-member carried by and having a radial component of movement along said pivoted member, said inertia-member tending to move to a position where it will engage said stop when said operating means is moved from ofi toward said second position, and

means acting on said inertia-member to, move the same out of the way of said stop when said operating means is moved to said first position, whereby said operating means may be moved from said first to said second position.

9. In a switch having operating means having an off, and a first and second operative position, a member movable with said operating means, a stop, an inertia-member cooperable with said stop and movable with and with respect to said movable member, and means whereby said inertia-member is lifted with respect to said movable member when the latter is in its first position than when it is in the off position.

In testimony whereof, the signature of the inventor is aifixed hereto.

GEORGE M. ALBRECHT. 

